Having probiotics (found in live yogurt, fermented and sour milk, probiotic cheese, probiotic supplements, drinks, miso soup and other foods) has a modest effect on lowering blood pressure, according to the results of a study analysing other studies on the subject (a meta-anaysis)

Better reductions were seen in people who had higher blood pressure and who took multiple probiotics. Taking probiotics for longer was more beneficial.

“However, even a small reduction of blood pressure may have important public health benefits and cardiovascular consequences,” states Dr Saman Khalesi (Griffith University, Australia) in the article published July 21 in Hypertension.

Just a small reduction in blood pressure was associated with a 22% relative reduction in risk of cardiovascular mortality, MI, or stroke.

There is now fair evidence to suggest that probiotics reduce certain constipation-related symptoms.

A new study looked at a specific strain of probiotics: Lactobacillus casei as a treatment for functional constipation in otherwise-healthy subject. There was a small but significant improvement in constipation severity at week 4 – this was seen to grow over time.

For some reason the authors used a milk drink containing a mix of sugar, skimmed milk powder, glucose, calcium, vitamins, and permitted flavourings. This would not have been especially useful in patients with lactose intolerance – interestingly, they did exclude patients with milk protein allergy.

However, some studies show that multi-strain probiotics have greater efficacy than single strains, including strains that are components of the mixtures themselves – so it might have been better for the authors to do a multi-strain probiotic. It may also have been useful to compare the result with a probiotic capsule that would have not contained the sugar and glucose and skimmed milk powder that the drink contained.

Salt intake may not affect blood pressure

The Journal of the American Medical Association recently published a study investigating the relationship between salt and high blood pressure (hypertension). This study (3,681 people) correlated salt intake, high blood pressure, cardiovascular disease and death. People with greater salt excretion were found to have significantly less heart disease and less death from cardiovascular disease.

Published in the May 4 2011 issue of JAMA, the study examined health outcomes related to salt intake by measuring the amount of sodium excreted in urine. Lower sodium excretion was associated with increased risk of cardiovascular death, higher sodium excretion did not increase risk of hypertension or cardiovascular disease complications.

“The assumption that lower salt intake would, in the long run, lower blood pressure, to our knowledge, has not yet been confirmed in longitudinal population-based studies.” said the study, which concluded that associations between systolic pressure and sodium excretion did not mean less morbidity or improved survival.

Low sodium excretion was a predictor of higher rates of death from cardiovascular disease.

Authors say that these current findings do not support current recommendations of generalised and indiscriminate reduction of salt intake for everyone. Only in hypertensive patients did reducing salt in the diet lower blood pressure.

Interestingly, the JAMA study shows that a slight decrease in blood pressure occurs with lowered salt intake but did not affect blood pressure other than in patients with existing hypertension.

New study links low DHA levels to suicide risk among U.S. military personnel

Researchers compared levels of omega-3 fatty acids of 800 individuals who committed suicide with those of 800 randomly selected controls — military service members who were matched with the suicide cases by age, sex, and rank. They found that all the service members had low omega-3 levels, and that suicide risk was greatest among individuals with the lowest levels of the major omega-3 fatty acid concentrated in the brain.

This adds to the large body of research that points to a fundamental role for DHA and other omega-3 fatty acids in protecting against mental health problems and suicide risks. Omega-3 fatty acids are recommended as an adjunctive therapy for mood disorders, now further research is needed to establish a definitive role for their use in the treatment of depression.

Optimal nutrition is important for all of us – as Naturopaths, Matthew and I can advise on good nutrition and a healthy diet, good sources of dietary Omega 3’s and supplements for you and your family.

We always knew eating our greens was good – but apparently it may be really good for you if you have breast cancer.

Eating specific green vegetables might have a positive impact on survival in breast cancer patients, according to the results of a new study. The Shanghai Breast Cancer Survival Study showed that eating cruciferous vegetables after a diagnosis of breast cancer was associated with improved survival. They had a reduced risk for total mortality, breast-cancer-specific mortality and recurrence.

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As well as being principal at Amersham Osteopathic Clinic, I am also Consultant in Charge at the Osteopathic Centre for Children's London clinic (part of the Foundation for Paediatric Osteopathy) and teach theory and practical techniques on the current Diploma course. I am on the Sutherland Cranial College of Osteopathy Teaching Faculty.
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